Newcastle back to winning ways as Willock and Hall end Hull’s unbeaten start
Newcastle held on to beat Hull 2-1 after Yoane Wissa failed with a penalty that could have put them 3-0 up, five days after their 4-1 humbling at Leeds
Hull always knew that, at some point, they would lose a Premier League game. But no one can say they did not do everything they could to delay that first defeat in the top division.
Hull conceded two goals in the first seven minutes. They could easily have given up, but they are tougher than that. They also sensed that Newcastle, though gifted, were fragile because of injuries and a very young squad.
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Once Matthias Jaissle was forced into a late switch to an unloved three at the back and Mohamed-Ali Cho narrowed the scoreline, the visitors assumed control and it almost seemed a minor miracle that Newcastle clung on for a morale-boosting victory.
“I’m very proud of how we played this game, especially the second half,” said Sergej Jakirovic. “We made mistakes in the first 10 minutes and Newcastle were clinical on the counterattack, but after that, I think we showed our mentality and our character. Over 90 minutes, we deserved a point. My team showed they will not be beaten easily.”
Jaissle had harsh words for his players after Monday’s 4-1 defeat at Leeds and it seemed they had the desired effect. Sure enough, Joe Willock swiftly lashed the ball beyond Konstantinos Tzolakis. Three minutes were on the clock and it was only the third goal Hull’s £20m Greece goalkeeper had conceded since arriving from Olympiakos.
It came after John Egan blocked Willock’s initial shot, but Hull’s subsequent failure to clear permitted Harvey Barnes to pick out the midfielder.
Four minutes later, Barnes helped create another goal. He passed the ball with Lewis Hall, who played very well. Hall, a left-back who was called back to the England squad on Friday, then hit a clean, low shot into the bottom-left corner. Importantly, the move started when Hall took the ball off Oli McBurnie deep in Newcastle's half.
Tino Livramento, too, was included in Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad, but the right-back’s chances of joining up with England receded when an injury collected in training ruled him out here. Livramento was one of nine home absentees, but, undeterred, a youthful starting XI initially delighted in a spot of tiger taming.
As much as Hull struggled to second-guess the dynamic Willock and the impressive 18-year-old Sean Steur in the home midfield, they were not subdued entirely. Hull came close to reducing the deficit when Sorba Thomas almost turned in a Matt Crooks cross at the near post.
Deep in first-half stoppage time, Thomas slipped and pulled back Jacob Murphy's ankle. A penalty was given. Yoane Wissa took the kick, but it lacked power, and Tzolakis saved it.
Newcastle's substitutes included five academy players, among them winger Kyran Thompson, a first-year scholar who left school this summer. Midway through the second half, Jaissle turned to his bench and brought on 34-year-old Fabian Schär in place of a tiring Steur.
This change led to a switch to a back three, with Schär at the center of it. Jaissle has made it clear that this is not his favourite formation. That feeling was probably confirmed when Hull scored almost immediately.
Cho's goal came after Lewis Miley, who had moved from right-back to midfield, lost the ball. This let Mohamed Belloumi pass to the summer signing from Nice. Cho, a former England youth international who now plays for France Under-21s, then enjoyed firing a close-range left-foot shot past Lukas Hornicek.
From then on Hull blitzed Newcastle’s area with a barrage of crosses, corners and shots from all angles. Newcastle were under siege and, among assorted other saves, their goalkeeper did particularly well to extend a foot and somehow divert Robinio Vaz’s half-volley.
“It was an intense game,” said Jaissle. His backroom staff exchanged words with their Hull counterparts. “We started at a really high level. That was the right reaction to Leeds. But the missed penalty changed the momentum. We got tired and we needed to suffer, but the commitment to win this game was exceptional. It made me proud. It was something special.”
